Child Development & Learning Flashcards
7 cards from real CDC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Child Development & Learning flashcards as text
Which term describes the process by which children incorporate new information into existing mental frameworks?
Answer: Assimilation
Assimilation, per Piaget, is when a child fits new experiences into existing schemas without changing the schema.
A child who was securely attached as an infant is MOST likely to demonstrate which outcome in preschool?
Answer: Better social skills, resilience, and willingness to explore
Secure attachment forms a safe base from which children confidently explore, correlating with stronger social and emotional outcomes.
Play-based learning is considered developmentally appropriate in early childhood because:
Answer: It mirrors how young children naturally construct knowledge and develop skills
Play is children's primary mode of learning, integrating cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development simultaneously.
At what age do children typically begin to show empathy by trying to comfort others who are upset?
Answer: Around 18–24 months
Emerging empathy — such as offering a toy or pat to a distressed person — appears around 18–24 months as social awareness grows.
Which scenario BEST demonstrates 'deferred imitation' in a toddler?
Answer: A 2-year-old pretends to talk on the phone hours after watching a parent do so
Deferred imitation involves reproducing an observed behavior after a delay, indicating the ability to store and retrieve mental representations.
What is the PRIMARY role of 'serve and return' interactions in infant brain development?
Answer: Building neural connections through back-and-forth responsive communication
Serve-and-return interactions — where caregivers respond contingently to an infant's cues — are foundational for building brain architecture and social-emotional skills.
A 6-year-old can sort objects by multiple attributes (color AND shape). According to Piaget, this child has likely entered which stage?
Answer: Concrete operational stage
Classification by multiple attributes (multi-dimensional sorting) is a hallmark of the concrete operational stage, beginning around age 7.